Shirley Marlene Virus

Shirley Marlene Virus of Villa Park, CA passed away on January 5, 2021 in Orange, CA after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease, Dementia and from Covid complications. Born at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Orange on June 1, 1932, she was baptized at Immanuel Lutheran Church on June 19, 1932 for Father’s Day. Marlene grew up in a home on the west side of Orange, built by her Grandfather HG Lembcke and purchased by her parents after the original owner abandoned it after the crash of 1929. Through second grade, she was walked to West Orange Elementary with a lifelong friend – Bob Meehan. Attempting to remove herself from the shadow of Shirley Temple, she always expressed her preference for the use of her middle name Marlene. Thereafter Marlene attended Immanuel Lutheran School, along with the young man she would eventually date and marry; Orange Union High School, class of 1950, where she was elected Class Secretary. She dutifully kept track of her OUHS classmates’ comings and goings for the next nearly 70 years. Marlene attended Leland Stanford Jr. University as a legacy of her father: Hugo John Lembke, and graduated from the School of Medicine as a nurse in 1954. Marlene married Dale Dean Virus on June 19, 1954 shortly after graduation ceremonies and went to San Francisco for her residency. They returned to Orange where she served as a Public Health Nurse for the County of Orange for several years before becoming a School Nurse for the Orange Unified School District in September of 1965. Starting out at Killefer Elementary, she also returned to West Orange Elementary where she attended some 30 years earlier. Serving at all levels of education, she was beloved by most of the students, as witnessed by the calls, “Hello, Nurse Virus” while shopping at the local mall. Marlene retired from the OUSD in 1987 with an incentive package when the district reduced the involvement of nurses in the education process but continued “on-call” as a substitute and to assist with mandated testing and evaluation programs.

They purchased their Villa Park property in 1962, remodeling it before moving in, and then added on in 1966. During the Paseo Grande fire in 1967 she spent the early hours of the morning running around on the wood shake roof swatting embers with a wet burlap feed bag. Dale, a local volunteer fireman was on the lines somewhere else. She was a beloved wife, mother and doting grandmother known for her kindness, honesty and generosity. Marlene is survived by her husband Dale of 66 years, son Timothy and his wife Barbara, son Randall and his children Nicholas, Jessica, Morgan and Piper, great-grandchildren: Juliet, Jillian and Joel; sister-in-law Carol and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents Hugo and Esther, brother Gerald (DeDe), brother & sister in-law Glenn and Ione Virus. She had many interests including quilt tying at church, bridge and bunco playing, cruising with Dale and their many friends, road traveling and spending time at the family mountain cabin. Most memorable were the wild gatherings of friends and family at the “Dew Drop Inn” for New Year’s celebrations: dancing the Chicken Dance at midnight, Eggs Benedict breakfast on New Years’ morning while watching the Parade, then cheering on her PAC12 team if they made it to the Rose Bowl.

A private graveside service will be held at Fairhaven Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Immanuel Lutheran Church, Orange, CA where she was a life-long member. Gifts should be designated to either the School Tuition assistance program or the 2022 Centennial Celebration in her memory.